Earning a traditional four-year degree will give you an edge in the competitive job market — and often results in higher wages and quicker career mobility — but college isn’t for everybody.
The good news is that great job opportunities still exist for workers who never completed college.
No college degree? No problem!
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If you’re looking to make a career move in 2018, CareerBuilder is out with a new list of the hottest in-demand jobs that don’t require a college degree, with some paying more than $20 an hour.
For these occupations, the number of job postings each month outpace the number of people actually hired.
“When people think of skills gaps, they typically think of high-skill tech or health care jobs that require advanced degrees,” said Matt Ferguson, CEO of CareerBuilder. “The reality is those gaps are being felt across all types of roles, including a wide range of jobs that don’t necessarily require a college education. What employers will look for first is whether candidates have the core competencies to fill their open positions, and those competencies can be developed in different ways outside of a formal classroom.”
Take a look at CareerBuilder’s top 10 jobs that don’t typically require a college education and have the largest gap between job openings and hires:
1. Heavy and Tractor-Trailer Truck Drivers
- Average Monthly Unique Job Postings: 1,662,847
- Average Monthly Hires: 107,845
- Job Growth 2012-2017: 174,188
- Total Employment in 2017: 1,966,281
- Median Hourly Earnings: $19.26
2. First-Line Supervisors of Retail Sales Workers
- Average Monthly Unique Job Postings: 276,477
- Average Monthly Hires: 85,445
- Job Growth 2012-2017: 60,541
- Total Employment in 2017: 1,428,776
- Median Hourly Earnings: $17.10
3. Food Service Managers
- Average Monthly Unique Job Postings: 60,718
- Average Monthly Hires: 20,007
- Job Growth 2012-2017: 22,240
- Total Employment in 2017: 285,765
- Median Hourly Earnings: $19.82
4. Insurance Sales Agents
- Average Monthly Unique Job Postings: 57,103
- Average Monthly Hires: 17,183
- Job Growth 2012-2017: 51,659
- Total Employment in 2017: 585,302
- Median Hourly Earnings: $23.17
5. Computer User Support Specialists
- Average Monthly Unique Job Postings: 58,569
- Average Monthly Hires: 34,283
- Job Growth 2012-2017: 85,704
- Total Employment in 2017: 700,574
- Median Hourly Earnings: $23.81
6. Social and Human Service Assistants
- Average Monthly Unique Job Postings: 38,869
- Average Monthly Hires: 19,967
- Job Growth 2012-2017: 51,885
- Total Employment in 2017: 400,143
- Median Hourly Earnings: $15.33
7. Real Estate Sales Agents
- Average Monthly Unique Job Postings: 18,169
- Average Monthly Hires: 9,238
- Job Growth 2012-2017: 11,828
- Total Employment in 2017: 390,490
- Median Hourly Earnings: $17.92
8. Pharmacy Technicians
- Average Monthly Unique Job Postings: 26,808
- Average Monthly Hires: 20,726
- Job Growth 2012-2017: 36,929
- Total Employment in 2017: 409,870
- Median Hourly Earnings: $14.87
9. Medical Assistants
- Average Monthly Unique Job Postings: 28,641
- Average Monthly Hires: 26,239
- Job Growth 2012-2017: 72,974
- Total Employment in 2017: 664,087
- Median Hourly Earnings: $15.18
10. Tax Preparers
- Average Monthly Unique Job Postings: 6,695
- Average Monthly Hires: 6,108
- Job Growth 2012-2017: 3,532
- Total Employment in 2017: 98,983
- Median Hourly Earnings: $19.60
Before you apply for any of these jobs, you’ll want to make sure that your resume is up to date. Read Clark’s guide to learn the 9 secrets to a perfect resume in 2018.
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